The Congress of Vienna, 1 November 1814 — 8 June 1815

Marjie Bloy, Ph.D., Senior Research Fellow,
National University of Singapore

As agreed at the first Treaty of Paris in 1814, a congress of the Great Powers
of Europe met at Vienna to settle the future boundaries of the continent. Almost
every state in Europe was represented. The emperors of Austria and Russia, the
kings of Prussia, Denmark, Bavaria and Württemberg and many German princes including
the Elector of Hesse, the Grand Duke of Baden and the dukes of Saxe-Weimar,
Brunswick and Coburg, attended in person.

The Congress

adopted a fair policy of no great rewards and no great punishments

gave a balanced settlement which ensured no major conflict for forty years
(the Crimean War, 1854-6) and then until 1914

included France, as represented by Talleyrand

was still generous to the defeated France, so as not to give rise to
French feelings of revenge

adopted a policy to restore the status quo ante bellum [the situation
as it was before the war] — a return to 1793 as far as possible. This
was perhaps rather short-sighted and regressive although the policy-makers
were working within their knowledge and did not have second sight to foretell
the future. The French Revolution had liberated new forces of democracy and
patriotic nationalism throughout Europe. The diplomats represented the crowned
heads of Europe and paid little heed to either of these forces

restored monarchies across Europe

ignored demands for greater democracy and nationalism; this led to the
majority of conflicts in the Nineteenth Century, between and within
countries

Lord Liverpool's government
(1812-27) was determined not to allow reform in Britain

1848 Liberal Nationalist revolutions throughout Europe

Sarajevo in June 1914

the restored monarchies were troubled by nationalist reformers wanting
democracy

Although interrupted by the ‘Hundred Days’ and troubled by rivalries, the Congress
achieved a settlement which remained in force in much of central and eastern Europe
until the First World War. This link will take you
to a map of Europe in 1815. The main provisions of the Congress were:

Great Britain retained

Malta

Heligoland

the protectorate of the Ionian Isles (the latter by a treaty signed 5 November
1815)

Mauritius, Tobago and Santa Lucia from France

Ceylon and the Cape of
Good Hope from Holland

Trinidad from Spain.

Prussia

In Germany, Prussia received half of Saxony, the Grand Duchy of Berg, part of the Duchy of Westphalia, and territory on the left bank of the Rhine between Elken and Coblenz, including Cologne, Trèves, and Aix-la-Chapelle. Prussia also received Swedish Pomerania and the King of Prussia was recognised as Prince of
Neuchatel

In Poland, Prussia retained the territory gained in the previous partitions, the province of Posen, and the cities of Danzig and
Thorn

Austria

In Italy, Austria received Venetia, Lombardy and Milan, the Illyrian provinces (Carinthia, Carniola and Trieste), Dalmatia, and the seaport of Cattaro (now the kingdoms lllyria and
Dalmatia)

In Poland, Austria kept eastern Galicia, with Krakow made a free city

In Germany, Austria received the Tyrol and Salzburg

The German states

By the act of Confederation, signed 8 June 1815, and supplemented by the final act of Vienna, 15 May 1820, a German Confederacy was set up to replace the old Holy Roman Empire. The number of German states was reduced from over 300 to 39. A Diet was established under the Presidency of Austria, to which states were to send delegates. The Diet consisted of the Ordinary Assembly sitting permanently at Frankfurt and a General Assembly. Each state was to be independent in internal affairs, but war between the individual states was forbidden and the consent of the Confederacy was necessary for foreign
war

Bavaria received Rhenish Bavaria, extending from the Prussian territory on the Rhine to Alsace, including the city of
Mainz

Hanover became a kingdom and received East Frisia and Hildesheim.

Russia

In Poland, Russia received the greater part of the grand duchy of Warsaw which was to be made into a separate kingdom of Poland.
Krakow became a free city state under the protection of Russia, Austria and
Prussia

Russia retained Finland, conquered from Sweden in 1808

Russia retained Bessarabia, taken from Turkey in 1812

Italy

Ferdinand IV was recognised as King of the Two Sicilies

The Pope received the Legation of Bologna and most of Ferrara, but was refused the restoration of
Avignon. Tuscany was assigned to the Grand Duke Ferdinand, uncle of the Emperor Francis; Modena to the Archduke Francois d’Este, another Habsburg
prince

Parma, Piacenza and Guastella were granted to the Empress Marie Louise for
life

Genoa was given to the Kingdom of Sardinia

Low Countries

The formation of the kingdom of the Netherlands was ratified, comprising the
former republic of Holland and Austrian Belgium, under the former hereditary
Stadtholder as King William I. The sovereignty of the Netherlands was given
to the House of Orange, and the King of the Netherlands was made Grand Duke
of Luxembourg, making him a member of the German Confederation

Switzerland

The 19 existing cantons were increased to 22 by the addition of Geneva, Wallis, and Neuchatel. Switzerland became a confederation of independent cantons with its neutrality guaranteed by the Great
Powers

Sweden and Denmark

Sweden retained Norway which had been ceded to her by Denmark at the Peace of Kiel (14
January 1814). The Norwegians were guaranteed the possession of their Liberties and rights.
Denmark was indemnified with Lauenburg

Spain and Portugal

Spain lost Trinidad

Portugal lost Guiana to France

France

Apart from the provisions of the second Treaty of Paris, France received
French Guiana from Portugal, Guadeloupe from Sweden, and Martinique
and the Isle of Bourbon from Great Britain

The slave trade

In February 1815, the Congress condemned the slave trade as inconsistent with civilisation and human rights.

Comment

the confederation of German states and the redivision of Italy led to Nineteenth
Century unification activity — Italy under Garibaldi and Cavour, Prussia
under Bismarck

the buffer state of the Netherlands did not last long. The Belgians
removed Dutch control over their country in 1830.

Britain appeared to acquire minimal advantages in the settlement, given
that she had spent £600 million on the wars. She got no land in
Europe, but Britain did gain colonial strength which helped her trade and
commerce. Britain became THE European colonial power

liberalism and nationalism in Europe was halted, temporarily. It was
not crushed

Russia entered western Europe as a major power and from 1815 onwards
played a regular and important part in European diplomacy. Russia had
gained the Duchy of Warsaw and Finland at Vienna - hence the unification of
Norway and Sweden under Bernadotte, as Charles XIV. This union was
terminated only in 1905

The Congress of Vienna was seen as the first of a series of Congresses which
have been labelled as the "Congress System" although it was never
a system. Diplomats felt that they should 'stick together' in peacetime
to preserve the peace. It was a "gentlemen's agreement" -
verbal, and there was no constitution; it was decided that when and where
conflict could lead to international war, a congress would meet to talk it
out first.